Steering control sensor for an automatic vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A steering control sensor installed in an automatic vacuum cleaner for controlling the steering direction of the automatic vacuum cleaner is disclosed to include a LED for emitting light onto the floor to produce a reflected light signal, a photo sensor for receiving the light signal, and a spring-supported contact member, which allows the photo sensor to receive the light signal when the automatic vacuum cleaner encounters no obstacle when moving on the floor, or blocks the light signal from the photo sensor to cause the photo sensor to output a signal to drive the automatic vacuum cleaner to change the steering direction when the automatic vacuum cleaner encounters an obstacle during movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1, Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an automatic vacuum cleaner and morespecifically to a control sensor for use in an automatic vacuum cleanerto control the steering of the automatic vacuum cleaner.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most people spend a lot of time in working and have a relatively shortertime for entertainment. Therefore, cleaning one's own house is a heavywork to most people. In order to help people clean the house withoutlabor, automatic vacuum cleaners have been developed. These automaticvacuum cleaners move on the floor automatically, and draw in air anddust together when moving on the floor. Similar designs are seen inTaiwan Patent Nos. 7220383 and M247107. An automatic vacuum cleaner hasmultiple infrared transmitters and receivers for detecting a floor edgeor an obstacle in the traveling path. Because multiple infraredtransmitters and infrared receivers are used, the cost of the automaticvacuum cleaner is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is the main object of the present invention to provide asteering control sensor for automatic vacuum cleaner, whichautomatically drives the automatic vacuum cleaner to change the steeringdirection when the automatic vacuum cleaner reaches a floor edge orencounters an obstacle. To achieve this and other objects of the presentinvention, the steering control sensor is installed in an automaticvacuum cleaner and electrically connected to a central processing unitof the automatic vacuum cleaner for driving the automatic vacuum cleanerto change the steering direction when the automatic vacuum cleanerreaches a floor edge or is stopped against an obstacle or a wall duringmovement on the floor. The steering control sensor comprises a casingmounted in the automatic vacuum cleaner, a circuit board mounted insidethe casing, a light emitting device installed in the circuit board andadapted to emit light onto the floor on which the automatic vacuumcleaner is placed so as to produce a light signal, a photo sensorinstalled in the circuit board and adapted to detect the light signal,and a contact member mounted in the casing and movable relative to thecasing and the photo sensor between an extended open position where thecontact member receives no external pressure and a retracted closeposition where the contact member is stopped against an external object.The photo sensor detects the presence of the light signal and outputs afirst signal to the CPU of the automatic vacuum cleaner when the contactmember receives no external pressure and is moved to the extended openposition; the contact member blocks the light signal from the photosensor and the photo sensor outputs a second signal to the CPU of theautomatic vacuum cleaner when the contact member is stopped against anexternal object and moved to the retracted close position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a steering control sensorinstalled in a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the steering control sensor according tothe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing thecontact member of the steering control sensor in the open position.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but showing the contact member moved to theclose position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a steering control sensor 100 is installed in thefront bottom side of an automatic vacuum cleaner to detect thesurroundings. The steering control sensor 100 outputs a signal to theCPU (not shown) of the automatic vacuum cleaner when the automaticvacuum cleaner moves to a floor edge or is stopped against an obstacleor a wall, causing the CPU to change the steering direction of theautomatic vacuum cleaner.

Referring to FIGS. 2˜4, the steering control sensor 100 comprises acasing 1, a circuit device 2, a light emitting device 3, a photo sensor4, and a contact member 5.

The casing 1 is mounted in the front bottom side of the vacuum cleaner,defining an accommodating chamber 10.

The circuit device 2 is a circuit board mounted inside the accommodatingchamber 10 of the casing 1.

The light emitting device 3 according to this embodiment is a LED (lightemitting diode) soldered to the circuit board 2 and adapted to emitlight onto the floor.

The photo sensor 4 is installed in the circuit board 2, and adapted todetect the reflection of the light emitted onto the floor by the lightemitting device 3 and to convert the received reflected light into acorresponding electronic signal.

The contact member 5 is supported on a spring member 6 in the casing 1and movable relative to the casing 1 between an open position (theextended position) and a close position (the retracted position). Thecontact member 5 has a through hole 51. When the contact member 5 is inthe open (extended) position as shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 51 isin vertical alignment with the photo sensor 4, and the photo sensor 4can catch the light reflected by the floor. On the contrary, when thecontact member 5 is in the close (retracted) position as shown in FIG.4, the through hole 51 is not in vertical alignment with the photosensor 4, i.e., the contact member 5 blocks the reflected light from thefloor, and the photo sensor 4 receives no signal of the reflected light.

When the contact member 5 is in the open (extended) position as theautomatic vacuum cleaner is moving on the floor, the photo sensor 4keeps receiving the light signal of the light emitted by the lightemitting device 3 and reflected by the floor. When the automatic vacuumcleaner moves to a floor edge, the photo sensor 4 receives no reflectionof light. At this time, the photo sensor 4 outputs a signal to the CPUof the automatic vacuum cleaner, causing the CPU to change the steeringdirection of the automatic vacuum cleaner. Further, if the contactmember 5 is stopped against an obstacle or a wall during forwardmovement of the automatic vacuum cleaner, the contact member 5 is forcedbackwards against the spring 6 and moved to the close (retracted)position to block the photo sensor 4, thereby causing the photo sensor 4to change the output signal to the CPU of the automatic vacuum cleaner,and therefore the CPU drives the automatic vacuum cleaner to change thesteering direction.

As indicated above, with the use of the retractable design of thecontact member 5, the steering control sensor 100 automatically drivesthe automatic vacuum cleaner to change the steering direction when theautomatic vacuum cleaner reaches a floor edge or is stopped against anobstacle or a wall during movement.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A steering control sensor installed in an automatic vacuum cleanerand electrically connected to a central processing unit of saidautomatic vacuum cleaner for driving said automatic vacuum cleaner tochange the steering direction when said automatic vacuum cleaner reachesa floor edge or is stopped against an obstacle or a wall during movementon a floor, the steering control sensor comprising: a casing mounted insaid automatic vacuum cleaner; a circuit board mounted inside saidcasing; a light emitting device installed in said circuit board andadapted to emit light onto the floor on which said automatic vacuumcleaner is placed, thereby producing a light signal; a photo sensorinstalled in said circuit board and adapted to detect said light signal;and a contact member mounted in said casing and movable relative to saidcasing and said photo sensor between an extended open position wheresaid contact member receives no external pressure, and a retracted closeposition where said contact member is stopped against an externalobject; wherein said photo sensor detects the presence of said lightsignal and outputs a first signal to the CPU of said automatic vacuumcleaner when said contact member receives no external pressure and ismoved to said extended open position; and said contact member blockssaid light signal from said photo sensor and said photo sensor outputs asecond signal to the CPU of said automatic vacuum cleaner when saidcontact member is stopped against an external object and moved to saidretracted close position.
 2. The steering control sensor as claimed inclaim 1, further comprising a spring member mounted in said casing andadapted to support said contact member in said extended open position.